Glow Sustainable: Arem Beauty's Founder Chooses Her Top Earth-Friendly Brands

This organic skin care brand uses Ecocert approved and certified organic ingredients, loaded with extracts that are native to New Zealand. I particularly like “Smog block”. This is a great, everyday lightweight cream which is perfect for combination skin as it sets matte and keeps the oil at bay! 

This organic produce store is a personal local neighbourhood favourite. A 100% organic grocery store that sells everything from fruits and vegetables to pre-made Thai Curry mixes. In order to lead a healthier lifestyle, there are a few small items like sugar, salt and cold-pressed oils, that you can easily change in your kitchen staples to attain the benefits of an organic diet. I love using a variety of oils and matching them with various cuisines. It’s worthy to note that organic ingredients that are extracted through cold-pressing retain their natural therapeutic properties. These cold-pressed organic oils are great to use for cooking as well as to slather all over your body!

An organic, vegan, cruelty-free and fragrance-free ethical makeup brand that’s made in India. Being my own brand, sustainability and performance have been the core of it. Our first product line, the Dew Stick Highlighters come in three universal sheer-sitting shades that work on all skin tones. They are ultra-creamy, super easy to use, and leave you with an illuminating natural and healthy glow, whilst nourishing your skin. A great example of how the coupling of hi-tech ingredients with eco-cert certified organic waxes and oils can create a truly powerful formula.

Ārem aims at reducing waste by their closed-loop recycling program by taking back the sticks after use and recycling them to be used as second-hand raw material for auto industry parts. As a commitment back to the planet, their ‘Planet Fund’ donates 2% of revenues towards environmental preservation activities. 

This Indian beauty and skincare brand makes a whole range of cosmetic and personal care products all of which are organic and natural (Ecocert certified). Their tinted lippie would be my personal pick here - It is balmy and hydrating and pigmented enough to leave a beautiful hue of colour on the lips. Also, love that their packaging aims towards sustainability and eliminating the use of plastic in their products. 

Ideally, the best way to save on stationery would be to move to digital.. but if you’re like me, you need an old school pen and book, you could give this a try. I came across this product and have been using it for a few months now. This is a great way to use technology to save paper, but not really compromise on your want to write. It’s essentially a notepad that you can write on and then digitally scan your notes to images in your phone. The notes can then be erased to make new notes on the same pages. It truly is a smart way to write, scan and reuse information.

The Amore Earth - Immunity booster by Luke Coutinho. This has been my holy grail consumable for the past year. Given the current pandemic situation, this is something that I’ve been using daily to help keep my immunity high. You’ll find that it’s a traditional recipe, made up of a blend of spices and herbs that are known to boost immunity across all age groups. Their sourcing practices and organic produce superpower these ingredients. I like to prepare it as a hot tea concoction with a dash of lime and honey! 

A company that I came across recently, that makes great sustainable clothing. I like basic everyday wear that is high in quality. A Goa-based carbon neutral brand whose clothes are made up of organic cotton, that is non-GMO, non-toxic, no chemicals, and no plastics. It’s a cleaner, greener alternative to your fashion choices, and honestly just perfect for daily wear. 

What will strike you about this brand first are its values, aesthetic, and on-trend clothes. But I find them to also be high in design and product quality. It’s not common that you find a brand doing it all well. One Pan Gaia product purchased = one tree planted, protected, restored in your honour.

Their shorts and top sets are very on-trend, super comfy but also high quality, and sustainable. Although not an Indian brand, I believe you can order their products internationally. 

Another one of my 2020 switches. The brand makes cleaner alternatives to household products that are better for the environment. Think dishwashing liquid and laundry detergent. They use Eco-safe, natural ingredients, that also do the job. Then why do we pollute our waterways with toxins?

I used their laundry detergent and found that just 12-15 drops of this product are enough to create the soap required to clean. As a result of this high concentration of this product, it ships in smaller pack sizes resulting in lesser plastic usage and environmental impact. That’s impressive!